Dual Acid Leaching of Tungsten: Process Intensification and Optimization Strategies

ABSTRACT Tungsten, a critical metal essential for high‐performance and emerging technologies, is traditionally extracted from scheelite through energy‐intensive, high‐temperature, and high‐pressure processes. This study presents an environmentally benign hydrometallurgical route for tungsten recovery from complex Hutti gold mine tailings using a dual organic leaching approach. Organic acids such as oxalic and citric acids were evaluated individually and in sequence to understand their leaching behavior and metal selectivity. The study briefly examines the leaching dynamics using oxalic acid and forms a base approach emphasizing the potential of employing a dual leaching aspect. Citric acid selectively dissolved impurity metals such as Fe, Ca, Mg, and Mn through complexation, while oxalic acid promoted tungsten dissolution via formation of soluble tungstate–oxalate species. The dual leaching approach affirms successful tungsten recovery (78.4%) with limited co‐dissolution of impurities (6.8% Fe, 0.5% Ca, 10.8% Mg, and 8.9% Mn) using 0.5 and 0.25 mol/L concentrations of citric acid and oxalic acid, respectively. The enhanced recovery is attributed to the preferential dissolution of the target metal in organic acids owing to their chelation ability, resulting in the formation of stable metal‐ligand complexes. The dual leaching aspect of the study was further validated through XRD analysis, peak intensity ratio determination, and quantitative analysis. Overall, the dual‐organic‐acid strategy provides a mild, selective, and sustainable alternative to conventional mineral‐acid leaching, advancing green extraction practices for tungsten recovery from low‐grade secondary resources.